Word Meaning
मोहलत
mohlat
Meaning
Respite, brief opportunity, granted time, or delay.
Detailed Meaning
In Urdu poetics, 'mohlat' denotes a granted span of respite, spare time, or brief opportunity, frequently signifying the fleeting duration of mortal life itself. In this couplet, it emphasizes the tragic transience of existence, where the speaker barely had time to open their eyes before having to shut them again. It underscores the impossibility of truly contemplating or experiencing the beloved world within such a fleeting breath.
Etymology
Arabic (مُهْلَة / muhlatan), denoting delay, postponement, leisure, or respite.
Usage
In the ghazal tradition, 'mohlat' is recurrently invoked to contrast the boundless desire for love or divine perception with the cruel brevity of human lifespan.
Examples
a fleeting respite before farewell
scarcely granted the time to gaze